caton



(No Model.)

W. E. CATON.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 363,589. Patented May 24, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Urrrca.

WILLIAM CATON, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TRUMAN A. MASON, OF SAME PLACE.-

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,589, dated May 24, 1887.

Application filed March 21, 18:7.

T aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1', WILLIAM E. Citron, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Joliet, in the county of fill and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-Couplers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

to This invention relates to certain improve ments in cancouplers, which improvements are fully set forth and explained in the following specification and claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the r 5 letters and figures of reference thereon, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the carcoupler as it would appear applied to cars, two cars being coupled together. Fig. 2 is a side view of the two matching draw-heads disconnected from the cars, showing the manner of operating the coupling-bolt. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the two matching drawheads, showing them in the act of being coupled to gether by means of the coupling-bolt, and

showing one attached to a car through the medium of its draw-bar. Fig. 4 is a side view of one of the draw-heads, showing it in use with an ordinary coupling-link. Fig. 5 is a side view of the coupling-bolt having ball-heads, one at each end. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a coupling-bolt having a ball-head at one end and formed as a link at its opposite end. Fig. 7 is a plan view of an ordinary couplinglink. 'Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the hinged tongue of the draw-heads for supporting the draw-bolt and for operating it to uncouple the draw-heads; and Fig. 9 is a top plan view of one of the draw-heads, having the 0 coupling-bolt set therein ready to automatically couple with an opposite fellow draw-head. Referring to the drawings, D D are the two matching draw-heads, each having the ordinary draw-bar and spring Q and nut H for yielding] y securing the draw-heads to the frame T of the car, as shown in Fig. 3, (one only being shown in said figure.)

B is the coupling-bolt, having a ball-head at each end. The draw-heads are provided with 0 vertically-arranged recesses, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, for the reception of the ball-heads of the coupling-bolt, as shown in Fig. 1, which recesses are contracted at their outlet to pre- Serinl No. 231,677. (No model.)

vent the outward passage of the said drawbolt heads from said recesses when the draw- R5 heads are coupled together by means of said bolt, as shown in said figure.

S is a gravity-tongue, hinged to the under side of the draw-heads D D in such manner as to form a support for the draw-bolt B as it 5: lies in said recess, as shown in Fig. 1. Said tongue is provided at its rear hinged end with the integral depending arm S, for the purpose of engaging with a draw-pin, P, for operating and holding said tongue in the manner shown 65, in Fig. 2. When said (lrawpiu I is withdrawn from behind said arrn S, against which it impinges, the forward end of said tongue will turn down and permit the draw-bolt B to fall and be disengaged from the drawhead, as shown in Fig. 2, for the purpose ofunc-oupling the two drawheads. Said drawpin passes down through a hole in the draw-head at the rear of said tongue, and is operated by means of the levers F, shaft E, arm P, and 7 link P, as shown in Fig.1. The extending end of tongue S is provided with the notch L, as shown in Fig. 8, forming a recess for the bolt 13 to lie in when it hangs from one of the draw-heads, as shown in Fig. 2, for the pur- So pose of holding said bolt below the opposite draw-head, so it'will not be engaged when the said draw-heads bump together.

0 C are curved arms, respectively pivoted at O to the upper side of the draw-heads, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and having their rear ends, 0 arranged to engage the frame or bumper T of the car, and their opposite curved ends arranged to pass over the outlet of the recesses in said draw-heads. These arms are for the purpose of supporting the coupling bolt B, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Figs. 3, 9, and holding it set in that position until the draw-heads D D come together and their concussion drives them back against the springQ on their draw-bars, causing the rear ends, 0 of said arms to come in contact with the car-bumper and swing its opposite end to one side from under said coupling-bolt B and permit the elevated end of [00 said bolt to drop into the recess in the opposite drawhead, and thus automatically couple the two draw-heads together. The dotted lines in Fig. 3 show how the draw-head D may move backward by means of said concussion, and cause the bumper to engage the rear end, 0 of said arm C and cause its opposite curved end to swing backward and permit the draw-bolt to fall in the opposite drawhead, as stated.

The draw-heads D D are each provided with transverse pin-holes a a, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, so that an ordinary coupling-link, R, (shown in Figs. 4 and 7,) may be used with the draw-heads, as shown in Fig. 7, by inserting a coupling-pin, (2, through said pin-hole and link, as shown in said figure, and, for convenience, said pin may be attached to the car, as shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired to couple one of the said draw-heads with one of the old and common pattern, the couplingbolt may be made as shown in Fig. 6 at B, having a ball-head at one end and formed like a link at its opposite end.

\Vhen it is desired to use the (l raw-heads D D with an ordinary coupling-link, such as is shown in 7, said drawheads and their draw-bars may be turned intheir frame, so that the recesses in said draw-heads will be horizontal, and said pinholes a a will be vertical, and said draw-heads and link may then be used as shown in Fig. 4., or one of said draw-heads may be used with an ordinary draw-head in common use. By means of the use of said tongue and the lever mechanism described it becomes unnecessary to pass in between the two cars to uncouple the coup lers, and by the use of the curved arms 0 O the coupling-bolt may be set and held set in its drawhead and automatically operated to couple the two draw-heads together by means of the concussion of the two cars meeting each other, as stated.

In Fig. 9 the arm 0 is shown as being forked at its outer end at C, for holding the drawbolt B between its forks, for the purpose of preventing said bolt from becoming unset or moved out of place by concussion or jar of the car, and the inner end of said arm isjointed, as shown at O, and the jointed end working in a guide on the draw-head D, which joint permits the end 0 to be operated by the car bumper, as stated, and have less side move ment than when rigidly connected.

It will be observed that tension on the coupling-bolt does not interfere with withdrawing the draw-pin P to permit tongue S to swing down and let the coupling-bolt become disengaged or uncoupled from the draw-head by its own gravity as soon as tension on it ceases, and that said draw-pin cannotjbe withdrawn by any motion or jolting of the car,-bccause the link P and arm P" will double in the direc tion of the car by means of the weight oflevers F F and be arrested by the car, and thus hold said pin down in its draw-head, as shown in Fig. 1.

The heads of the draw-bolt B may bc-of any convenient form or size.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows, to wit:

1. The combination of the d rawhead "D,

having a vertically-arranged recess contracted at its outlet, the tongue S,hinged to the under side of said draw-head,andhaving the depending arm S, the draw-pin P, arranged to pass through said drawhead and impinge with arm S, and the means, substantially as shown, for operating said pin, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the drawhcad D, having the recess contracted at its out-let, gravity-tongue S, having the depending arm S, curved arm .0, coupling-bolt B, having a ball-head at each end, draw-pin I, and the means,substantially as shown, for operating said pin and tongue, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the draw-head D, having the vertical recess contracted at its outlet, and the curved arm 0, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

at. The draw-head D, having the vertical recess provided with a contracted outlet, in combination with the tongue S, hinged toits lower side to close said recess, and having the depending arm S, draw-bolt P, link P, arm P shaft E, and levers F, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The draw-head D, having the vertical recess provided with a contracted outlet,in combination with curved arm 0, tongue S, having the depending arm S, and the means for operating said arm and tongue, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the two draw-heads D D, each having the vertical recess provided with a contracted outlet," coupling-bolt B,

having a ball-head at each end, curved arms 0, tongues S, hinged to the lower side of said draw-heads, and the means described for op erating said tongues, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination with the draw-heads D D,having the arms 0 O and gravitating tongues S S, as described, the coupling-bolt B, enlarged at each end, as specified, and adapted to be setand held by said arms, and be re leased and one end'thcreof permitted to fall by its own gravity by means of the concussional contact of said draw-heads to automatically couple said draw-heals, in the manner substantially as set forth.

S. In the car-coupler described, in combination with a car or cars, and with the drawheads D, recessed and having the gravitating tongues S, hinged thereto, as set forth, the arms 0, pivotally secured. to the upper side of said heads and arranged to hold, set the couplingbolt B, and be operated to release said bolt by the eoncussional contact of said draw-heads and their attached ears, in'the manner substantially as and for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM E. cA'ron.

Witnesses: I h

WM. J. HUTOHINS, Tnos. H. HUTcHINs.

IIO 

